“The doctors won’t let us take her away: an agreement between London and Rome is the last hope for our daughter.” She told the Corriere della Sera the father of Indi Gregory, the eight-month-old English baby, suffering from a rare mitochondrial disease, for which the High Court of London has ordered the suspension of vital treatments despite requests from the little girl’s family to transfer her to the hospital in Italy Baby Jesus of Rome. During a quick meeting, on 6 November the Government granted her Italian citizenship, a first step towards the difficult transfer of her little girl to Italy.
“The Italian government is moving behind the scenes”
According to the parent, Indi is “a victim of discrimination and bullying” and of a country “that I would like to be as compassionate as Italy”. Dean Gregory explained that “the Italian government is moving behind the scenes. I don’t know exactly what it is doing, but I hope that there will be a positive development for us as soon as possible.” Indi’s father is also convinced that the little girl could receive different treatments in Italy: “I’m sure of it. I know that there are procedures that in this country they didn’t want or were able to attempt. We are in contact with two specialists who assured us that they are interventions that could solve Indi’s heart problems and then be able to deal with the genetic syndrome. I sent the two reports to the doctors in Nottingham who didn’t even reply to me.” At Bambino Gesù, however, “they told us that they would do everything. ‘Just let us get there,’ they told us. But this is the problem. The doctors won’t let us take her away. We also thought about transferring her.”
“Donations and interest restore our faith in humanity”
Then she is “a very calm little girl, she almost never cries, she listens to music, she shakes our hands. I don’t understand the doctors who say she is suffering. She shows no signs of it. Even the nurses underline how calm she is”, said Gregory who for regarding the transfer, he underlined that “an air ambulance with medical assistance would be needed. I know that it is something for which we should pay, but the money is there – said the parent -. We have received many donations and in particular we are grateful for the extremely generous intervention of a very rich acquaintance of ours. These, like the interest of the Italian government, are gestures that restore your faith in humanity.”
The case
He therefore suffers from a serious neuro-metabolic disorder which seriously compromises his life expectancy and quality of life. For mitochondrial diseases there is no cure and for some ultra-rare and serious mutations such as Indi’s, there are no therapies available that can slow down the course of the disease. British doctors, recalls the Mitocon association, argue that the therapies that Indi receives cause her unnecessary pain, therefore, “in her best interests”, the judges have authorized the Nottingham hospital to suspend therapies and vital supports such as ventilation assisted. At the beginning of November, the British court said “no” to Indi’s transfer to Italy because, according to the judges, it would entail further suffering for her while now her Italian citizenship could allow her to leave the Queen’s Medical Center of the University of Nottingham.
Source-tg24.sky.it